Jan & Dean - Carnival of Sound - 1968

Mark - sorry to veer off the thread title somewhat. I have a aircheck from KOMA Oklahoma City OK from the spring of 1966 that features a "KOMA: exclusive - a protest type song by Jan and Dean - titled "He Was Only A Boy" . the DJ mentions this is an exclusive and that it is heard first in the world on KOMA having been dropped off by Jan and Dean on a recent visit. Do you know anything about this song? I have never heard it anywhere else.Charlie

 

It is just a phenomenal oversight that this has never been issued. I don't believe there wouldn't be any interest in it. I know there would. I mean, if you were here in Japan last year when "Free Design" or any of the other obscure Sunshine Pop artifacts from '67/'68 by lesser known bands were reissued, you'd have seen posters and store displays all over the place advertising the fact and brisk sales. My guess is Jan & Dean's "Carnival Of Sound" would do better.

The samples you posted tell the story. It (like most all Jan & Dean releases) is just high quality California pop. A high level of musicianship on the part of the session people. Wonderful sense for melody and arrangement on the vocals. And on this one, a little bit of a psych vibe.

As with a Jan & Dean box, I'd be there in a minute with the cash for 3 sales were Carnival of Sound released: at least one CD and two LPs if available in that format.

I love Hawaii and Stay...

Stay, if you can put up a clip, is just what you'd expect a 1967 pop version to sound like. AM radio friendly, very California if you ask me. A lost classic that more than deserves a hearing.

Dale

 

Charlie,

See references above (in this thread) to "Only A Boy."

It was a song about an American soldier killed in Vietnam . . . and I find it highly interesting that KOMA billed it as a protest song. It's usually viewed as the opposite.

I'd love to hear that audio, by the way . . .

As I've said elsewhere . . . It's no surprise that Jan (as a part-time artist) would go this route (regardless of political affiliation) . . . because Sgt. Barry Sadler's "Ballad of the Green Berets" had just spent five straight weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts in early 1966 . . . (The Beach Boys' vaunted Pet Sounds, and its singles (in the same year), never achieved anything close to that kind of chart success).

Jan recorded that tune before his accident . . . but when he got the post-accident deal with Warner Bros. in late '67, they released that song because it featured Jan's pre-accident lead vocals.

Jan & Dean were touring the U.S. in March and early April of '66 . . . just before Jan's accident. And I have a list where that song was included in at least one of their sets. (Jan & Dean's contract with Liberty Records ended on March 31, 1966).

Warner Bros. went on to release "Only A Boy" as a single in December 1967. It didn't go anywhere . . . but again, it was the square peg in the larger sphere of Carnival of Sound.

M.

 

Mark, although my knowledge of Jan & Dean is limited, I just want to say a big thank you for sharing your research here with us You've more than whetted my appetite for an official release of this material!

 

Well, I think it's kind of surprising. "The Universal Coward" had totally stiffed, Dean was absolutely against political/topical records for Jan & Dean, his reason being that Jan & Dean fans weren't looking for that kind of thing from them...unless Jan thought the "Ballad of the Green Berets" showed his instincts were right even if his timing was wrong, in the same way he wanted "Sidewalk Surfin' re-released in 1965 after skateboarding's popularity had grown so much over 1964...

Dale

 

For that matter, is there any wisdom in emailing Sundazed or EMI or anyone about Jan & Dean reissues? Do they pay attention to email? If it made sense, I'd send in a bunch...

Dale

 

Thanks, Mark, for sharing all the fascinating info on "Carnival Of Sound": seems like a true 'triumph of the will' considering the terrible physical shape Jan was in. Also appreciate your sharing stuff about your research and background into Jan and Dean.

 

Dean's opinion didn't matter . . . he didn't have any say or power. For good or ill, Jan's word ruled.

"Universal Coward" was a parody of "The Universal Soldier," camping up the opposite view of "Eve of Destruction" on the Folk 'n Roll LP in '65.

M.

 

I think it was that kind of thing that resulted in Dean's "walk out" on the "You Really Know How To Hurt A Guy" session, a good, in this case, for The Beach Boys!

Hmm..."Universal Coward" never really sounded like a parody to me, more a 'reply'. That was a solo Jan release, right? Anyway, to me it always sounded more serious, more in the vein of The Spokesmen' "Dawn of Correction" than a J&D parody like "Folk City"...Love the line in that one, how does it go? Something like, "I'll sing all the words like Bob Dylan does, about where it's at and where it was" (!). Dig it!

Dale

 

Well, in the past, WB has said it won't license stuff that has never been released.

So it seems to me it would be a no-brainer for WB to release its own masters.

I think there's a skunk in the woodpile somewhere . . . and it's only a matter of time before I find out where it is.

M.

 

Mark,

Does Dean have ANY say in whether this ever sees a release, ot not?

 

I don't claim to know much about how the music industry works, but that sure seems like a bizarre statement. Haven't hundreds of reissues from the 70s until now dealt with "previously unreleased" rarities? Isn't that part of the attraction?

I hope so...

Hope you can de-fume it...

Dale

M.[/QUOTE]

 

Well, that's a question I have . . . I think Dean would like to see Carnival of Sound remain buried . . . given what happened with the Columbia version of Save For A Rainy Day. I wouldn't have much confidence in support from Dean . . . though I certainly couldn't speak for him.

But Dean signed the Warner Bros. contract . . . so it would have been a Jan & Dean album. If I'm WB, that's enough for me. I can produce a copy of J&D's Warner Bros. contract, complete with signatures, in a heartbeat.

Jan's estate has questions about the use of the name "Jan & Dean" . . . and that's another story.

See, since 1966, people have always gone to Dean for information and releases, etc. . . . first, because he was the one who wasn't brain damaged . . . and now, because Jan is dead.

But that's a problem (in some cases) . . . because Jan was the one who was signed to Screen Gems (not Dean). Jan was the company-signed arranger and producer, and handled all the business . . . So Dean was often forced to speak on the record for J&D, about matters (such as release choices and instrumental tracks) that he had no involvement in.

So all of a sudden, starting in 1966, you have the equivalent of Al Jardine or Mike Love speaking publicly, on the record, for Brian Wilson, about matters relating to the music, etc. . . And as a result, there's been a significant skewing and burying of Jan Berry's true story. (After the accident, Jan also misrepresented Dean in some cases, too).

It's a mess . . . Welcome to my world.

I think Jan not having a voice for the past foty years (at least until I came along) has been a big part of why Jan & Dean, as an act, are so far behind the eight-ball right now.

M.

 

Handmade J&D

having worked on this project for Handmade, back in the day,
let me remind y'all, not all of this material is 'amazing' - we pulled
the surviving WB reels. this might be a case where the legend is
more interesting than the repertoire. however all the Laurel and Hardy
references are pretty 60s-timely.
-mike

 

Well, the stuff's been booted, often from acetates. So I would expect the master tapes to sound better.

The original music scores for this album survive . . . I have them . . . and the arrangements are very complex . . . especially the string, brass, and woodwind parts. Top flight studio musicians on all tracks.

The Carnival material is way more complex, musically, than Save For A Rainy Day.

Everyone has opinions, and not everyone likes everything . . . but the Carnival material is certainly worthy of release.

In my view, stuff like "Tijuana" is crap . . . basically just a bad vocal dub over the original track for "Little Old Lady." An experiment that didn't work . . . and for which Jan got in a load of trouble.

Darian Sahanaja, of Brian Wilson's band, has been a connoisseur of the Carnival of Sound material since the 1980s. So there are discerning musicians who are into this stuff.

Others will always prefer the surf material, etc . . .

For history . . . and for documenting Jan's rennaissance in the studio, the album should be released, with proper notes and documentation.

At the very least, there should be an official release of the 12-track version.

The track list I saw from Rhino years ago had a bunch of tracks that were '60s J&D hits . . . possibly more dubs onto existing tracks? . . . I'd leave that stuff off.

The extras I'd like to see would be backing tracks, etc.

M.

 

reviewing my memory about Carnival Of Sound,
i'm not sure i would call these recording "Psychedelic"
maybe as 'farout' as Spanky & Our Gang, or the Association
but more like compositions of The Royal Guardsmen.
-mike

 

Here is Jeff Mason's review of the album. This was on the old Smile Shop, until it recently shut down. It's also on the official Jan Berry site:

The Inner World of Jan Berry -- A Review of Carnival of Sound


By Jeff Mason


The middle of the 1960s had been a difficult time as it was for the champions of pre-British Invasion American Pop. While names such as Brian Wilson, Frankie Vallie, Phil Spector, and Jan Berry had loomed large in those days of naive but visceral rock music, among other similar performers of genres like surf music, girl groups and the like, the onslaught of the Beatles cut deeply into their fanbase and influence. The acts that survived that initial blast all in one way or another succumbed to the changes brought by the Summer of Love. Brian Wilson, most likely to transition to the newer musical styles, was unable to overcome his own personal demons. Phil Spector pretty much retired and didn't even try to compete, only resurfacing at the end of the decade when his approach to music could safely resume its use. Other acts like the Four Seasons bravely tried to soldier on, and perhaps made some interesting music, but ultimately they could not interest the nascent cognoscenti who had a very particular view of what music should be and had no room in their world view for such fluff (as they saw it).

Given this background, it should be no shock to say that Jan Berry was confronted with quite a mountain to climb to survive this new climate even if all things were equal. However, Berry had it far worse in that he also was forced to face life with new handicaps. Berry lived out in the worst possible way one of his most famous songs, "Dead Man's Curve," with the result of the accident a loss of functionality that prevented his being able to walk and talk, much less being able to perform music. Not only did Berry have to struggle to find an identity in a new world, he also had to do it without actually being the voice of his ideas.

It is therefore a testimony to his abilities that not only was Berry able to put together a new project of interesting music, but he was able to do it in such a way as to demonstrate clearly the value of a more experienced artist in a freshly made world. While British pyschedelic music found ways to make some connection to past traditions that helped to spawn the current sounds (in particular the fascination with music hall), most psychedelic music made in the United States self-consciously disconnected with reference to its history, with the result that all of the music that moved young people so recently prior to 1964 simply vanished from the cultural radar. And yet it was this very set of music that was the identity of Jan & Dean. They had been able to move nimbly from doo wop to pop to surf and all over the place while still maintaining a sense of self and a group of fans. Faced with the new music, Jan could have tried to blend in and move again, but Berry must have known that this would be an inferior move. Really, there was no consistent essence of what psychedelia consisted of save an approach to lyric writing and an approach to arranging. Perhaps intuiting this, Berry realized that there was no reason to abandon the music he loved. All of the styles that had charged him in the past could find an expression while still being utterly contemporary.

Lyrical themes would be the only struggle, especially since Berry was not the most left-winged person in a very radical climate. In fact, some of his songs had lyrics that the hated Establishment could love. And Berry had little affinity with the self-absorbed drug culture and its search for internal truth and meaning. Berry's solution was genius -- he was able to take the inward focus upon his own mental process forced upon him by his accident and find an island of overlap with current themes. By announcing a project called "Carnival of Sound" and putting together an album that was a living example of its own name, he emphasized the effect that music had on the internal self, and did it by example rather than undue literal exposition. Berry worked to craft a project that would demonstrate that psychedelic music's greatest gift to the world was a fascination with exotic music and sound, and that any structural form of pop might find an expression in such a vision. And a sensitive listen to the words reveals a strong and consistent concern with the workings of the mind and the influence that the outside world has upon those workings (most especially beautiful music).

It is fascinating to speculate how the intelligentsia of rock might have viewed such a conceit. They never got the chance. For though Berry found the answers to where his music had to go, and found ways for others to express his music for him, the company that gave him the green light to move ahead, Warner Bros., for whatever reason chose to release only [two obscure singles] from the project. To this day, most of the album sits in record company valuts, unreleased even in an age when every minor act has had their back catalogue and unreleased tracks reissued to excess. It is unbelievable that Warner would not make even a half-hearted attempt to piece together a CD exploring what might have been, but today the only form that the music is available is in bootleg form, mostly from acetate sources. Even in such low fidelity, though, the value of the music is quickly revealed from a sensitive listen. And in fact, this age is probably better able to appreciate its worth, since music fans are far more open-minded than ever.

An exploration of the album as it was to be, track by track:


SIDE ONE

1. Blowin' My Mind -- The first thing apparent is that Berry has found studio singers who can fill in the same roles he once did; while the singing is not a copy of his style, it still registers the same feel, with a similar approach to vocal harmony that Berry and Dean Torrence had achieved after working with Brian Wilson. Already at the start the focus on sound shines forth with a rousing horn arrangement that meshes well with a straightfoward pop song. In fact, one might think that this could have been an old-style J&D song, except that there are some lyrical shades not found previously in one of their songs -- while it is a love song, phrases like "see the world through a haze" and "girl you're blowin' my mind" remind us that it actually is 1968 and the rules have changed.

NOTE -- the version I am reviewing is substantially different [from other versions Jan experimented with]. I have sampled them and the version supplied by Mark Moore is less busy and more successful than the one . . . with lots of extraneous distorted guitar. It also is missing the jet sound effects.

2. Only a Boy -- This song to me fits uncomfortably in the mix for several reasons. First off, it is the only song on the album that actually features Jan Berry himself, as it was cut . . . prior to the accident. Also, its lyrics are almost willfully counter to everything in contemporary youth music as regards to Vietnam, extoling the soldier as a hero to be praised for activity in Vietnam, even as he died. The words could have been written by the press corp of the military, it is so optimistic in its world view (and awkward in their execution; to me it is the weakest lyric on the album from a purely artistic perspective without considering whether one agrees or not with their argument). What makes the song work on this album is the arrangement, which despite its age (and it does sound older in its engineering than the other tracks) still demonstrates its creativity, especially its mournful trumpet that carries the emotional weight of the music and protects the song from the prosaic lyrics.

3. Stay -- At first I was confused at the inclusion of several covers of songs -- not only was it strange in that time to include covers on an album, but the age of all three of them pre-date even Beach Boys in age. Upon reflection, I think that Berry is making a serious point by making such covers. He is crafting a "carnival of sound," and beautiful sounds can come from any structural form of music. So to emphasize this, Berry stretches back in time to the doo wop that his own music blossomed from originally. It is a nice update, not an exceptional one, and is useful in advancing the program.

4. Mulholland -- To this point, the carnival has sounded fairly traditional. With this track, Berry begins to layer on the more exotic influences. The sitar was largely used as an excuse to incorporate Eastern music and its structures into music by many bands, or where it was used in a traditional song, it was highlighted in a way to emphasize its exotic nature (a la "Paint It Black" [by the Rolling Stones]). Here, though, Berry uses it as if it were just another instrument in his orchestra where he might once have used a guitar. Other instruments like clarinets and flutes can be heard to color some lovely vocal harmonies. For the first time on the album, Berry begins to blend the past of teen pop with its present in terms of sound. The result is an intoxicating hybrid. [Lead Vocal by Tom Bahler].

5. I Know My Mind -- Again returning to the emphasis on the internal world and Berry's interaction with his own mental process (one of the few things left to him without alteration). Again, as will be heard throughout, the sitar is used as a standard accompaniment instrument. It also borrows a standard motif of pyschedelic music, "found sound," in the form of birds chirping in its opening strains. In keeping with such a theme, the music becomes more cerebral and focused, a mirror to the reflective tone of the lyrics. One of the best unions of theme and sound on the whole project. [Lead Vocal by Tom Bahler].

6. In the Still of the Night -- Another cover track, another doo wop song, as if Jan were trying to remind us yet again about his own history. Unlike the other covers, however, little attempt is made to update it and it is about as straightforward as you can get. The most memorable part about its sound is the spoken bridge, supplied by Davy Jones of the Monkees.



SIDE TWO

1. Carnival of Sound -- Berry has waited to the opening of side two to explain what he is up to, though surely a sensitive listener has gotten a bit curious if they have noticed some of the motifs that keep popping up. This is by far the most exotic-sounding track on the whole project, adding Indian drums to the sitar, mixing those on the breaks and the solo with tack piano on the verses for a typical psych arrangement. The lyrics here are almost a manifesto for what is going on -- music can lead you to enlightenment, as it helps you to understand what is going on in your own mind. A terrific statement of purpose.

2. Hawaii -- This is without a doubt the most exciting track on the whole album, and would probably have been the music Mike Love [of the Beach Boys] would have dreamed of making in 1968 (with its utterly mundane lyrics that would have worked on a song from 1963). The track is the fusion of a classic Jan & Dean surf track with psychedelia, with soaring strings and sitar bursts punctuating an aggressive and propulsive track. This track in my mind illustrates the place where Berry had the most to offer in his time with this album. Much of the drug-influenced music of the period was more laid back and could often drag or seem hazy. This track is crystal clear and spritely; a perfect hybrid of old and new with its Beach Boys harmonies and song structure along with the stranger elements. In a kinder world, this would have shot to the Top 10 on the charts.

3. Louisiana Man -- The last of the covers, this time of a country song [by Doug Kershaw], I can only wonder if Berry had heard Bobbie Gentry's recent version and was inspired by that to cover it. [Berry, in fact, had recorded an instrumental track for this song before his accident]. It is so unusual a choice that one wonders at first the motive for inclusion. Again, I speculate that Berry is trying to craft a sound collage that is as inclusive as he can make it to demostrate the healing power of good music (no matter its source).

4. Love & Hate -- Lyrically, this is an oddball song for its contrasts between its two titular emotions. Again the emphasis is on an analysis of the internal working of the soul, here the struggle between the two sides of a soul. The struggle is painted musically with a track full of swirling strings, pounding drums, and a feel best analogized by a roller coaster -- up and down with sudden shifts of pace. The arrangement simply saturates the tape with its ideas.

5. Fan Tan -- A sonic companion to the previous track, in that it too bursts with strings all over the place and intense drums (and the now-familiar Indian touches). Lyrically, it seems to be some form of jingle, though for what I am not too sure. [Fan Tan was a type of chewing gum]. While the arrangement is strong, the song is not as strong as the rest of the Berry originals on side two.

6. Laurel & Hardy -- For the closing track, Berry pulls back the side of him displayed on the unreleased Filet of Soul and the Batman album -- the wisecracking fool who seemingly took nothing seriously. Berry blends a tribute to his comedic heroes with a new idea to his merging of styles -- like British psychedelia had room for music hall, you can hear influences from pre-1950's pop on this song (appropriate given the subject matter) but merged into a fully modern mix. Some of the elements don't work well for me (most especially the bass singer), but it is nevertheless a largely inventive sound with some startling changes. There also is one last comment on the album's theme from Laurel and Hardy themselves: Laurel: "I can't stay awake if I've got nothing to occupy my mind!" Hardy: "I'll give you something to occupy your mind!" Jan, you just did. What an appropriate way to sum up the whole experience.

 

Thanks Mark, for that insightful essay and review. For me, the salient part of Mason's overview was the last paragraph before the track-by-track analysis. In it he writes (my italics)

"To this day, most of the album sits in record company vaults, unreleased even in an age when every minor act has had their back catalogue and unreleased tracks reissued to excess. It is unbelievable that Warner would not make even a half-hearted attempt to piece together a CD exploring what might have been, but today the only form that the music is available is in bootleg form, mostly from acetate sources. Even in such low fidelity, though, the value of the music is quickly revealed from a sensitive listen. And in fact, this age is probably better able to appreciate its worth, since music fans are far more open-minded than ever."

Mike (DiddleyDaddy) is probably right when he says "not all this material is amazing" -- this coming a person who has heard it (off a crappy boot). But on a par with The Royal Guardsmen? Come on, it's a lot better than that, it's historically significant and there are a bunch of people who want to see it come out.

While it may not be amazing, or that psychedelic, it IS one of THE last unreleased artifacts of the era, some like me might say major artifact, that hasn't been released. I mean, sheesh, if the powers that be can see fit to re-release the likes of Free Design and Sagittarius and all the various and sundry Sunshine Pop acts that came and went with nary a whisper back in the day, there is NO rational reason not to put together a nice Carnival of Sound package. They've got a guy right here ready with all the archival research (Mark), I'd be willing to bet someone would be interested in releasing it (I think I've said before it looks like a project that's right down Sundazed's alley) -- really, it looks like licensing the masters is the one thing stopping its release.

I think I've said it before, if it came out, I'd be in for a minimum one digital and two analog LP sets were they available.

My two cents...

Dale

 

maybe, i stand here looking silly for my comparrison.
but i like the Royal Guardsmen.
-mike

 

Well, I don't think it's an apt comparison.

So do I.

Dale

 

Well, I think there are psychedelic and even sunshine elements to the Carnival music . . .

Not like the Seeds kind of psychedelic . . . but then again neither was Brian Wilson's music from '66-'67.

From all I've heard, there's a way to release the best stuff, while avoiding some of the lesser demo takes, etc. And I'd leave "Tijuana" off altogether.

M.

 

Mark - Thanks for the information regarding my question about " He's Only A Boy" from my aircheck . For some reason I did not make the connection that the song I asked about was the same song (or an earlier version)as on the proposed 1968 LP. I will be happy to provide you the the KOMA aircheck version. It would be interesting to hear your comparisons of the the two versions if they differ. And KOMA did not call it a "protest song". That was my bad description. I guess I just lump any 60's song about a young man going to Viet Nam era as a protest song. It is actually more a tribute type of song about the young man's courage. And I did sign the petition.

Charlie

 

Just thought I'd hit the J&D threads with a reminder:
if you enjoy the music of Jan & Dean, please sign this petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/jdcd2007/petition.html

Cheers,
Dale

 

Update . . .

I've written an article (3,000 words), forthcoming in ESQ, that lays out what happened with "Carnival of Sound" and "Save For A Rainy Day" . . . There's an interlocking context there that's never been properly presented.

The article is called . . . "Rainy Days In A Carnival of Sound: The Lost Rennaissance of Jan & Dean" . . .

Here's the press release from ESQ . . .


FALL 2007

THE BEACH BOYS: "Smiley Smile" revisited

The Fall 2007 edition of Endless Summer Quarterly celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Smiley Smile with collected comments from Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Van Dyke Parks and Stephen Desper; An exclusive interview with Dean Torrence on the Jan & Dean release Save For A Rainy Day, and The Laughing Gravy’s version of “Vegetables”; Mark A. Moore unveils Jan Berry’s first post-accident recording sessions – Carnival Of Sound; Brian Wilson Royal Festival Hall performance review in London (September 14); more

Individual issue: $12
Subscriptions:
$27 U.S., $32 Canada and Mexico
$37 elsewhere in the world
ESQ's PayPal account ID is: [email protected]



M.